Baby&#39;s sleeping harness



Nov. 3, 19-36.

H. M. DONOGHUE BABY S SLEEPING HARNESS Filed March 22, 1935 Fig. 2

Helen M. Donoghu v Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE BABYS SLEEPING HARNESS Helen M. Donoghue, Portland, Oreg.

Application March 22, 1935, Serial No. 12,419

2 Claims. (01. 128-434) My invention relates to a device which is intended to produce more restful sleep in infants, and to prevent their crawling from or kicking off their covers, by restraining the infants feet to the foot of the bed, while yet allowing sufficient freedom of movement for the normal movements of the infant preparatory to or during sleep.

A small child will sometimes form the habit of kicking off its covers, even though they may be pinned down about his neck, or of crawling out of the top of the covers, in either case exposing himself to cold. These and other restless manifestations react upon the nervous system of the child, and incline him to a habit of restlessness, even to such an extent that restful sleep is interfered with.

It is the object of my invention, therefore, to produce a device which will overcome such tendencies by restraining the child sufficiently to prevent abnormal or undesirable movements, such as crawling above the covers, kicking off the covers, or undue restlessness, while yet allowing suflicient freedom for all normal movement, into a restful position, for turning about, and for kicking to a normal degree.

It is recognized that it is not desirable to constrain the waist or shoulders of the child, and since small children have to be taken up at night, or frequently, to be changed, it is therefore a further object, and in addition contributes to the end of providing the minimum of necessary restraint, to produce such a device which need only be attached, by easily removable means, to the childs ankles, and which in turn can be attached to the foot of the bed.

It is a further object to produce such a device which is strongly made of substantial materials, and which is so formed that it may readily be laundered.

It is a further object to produce such a device which is of simple construction, and which can therefore be made inexpensively.

My invention comprises the novel harness, 45 composed of the several parts in combination, as shown in the accompanying drawing, and. as will be described in the specification and particularly defined by the claims at the end of the same.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown my invention in a preferred form of construction, it being understood that the principles thereof may be incorporated in various forms of construction.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device in use, showing the infant in its crib, the covers,

however, being omitted, the better to illustrate the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the harness.

For ease of laundering and for convenience in manufacture, and because it can be made strongly, and thus will not readily Wear outnor pull apart, I prefer that the harness be constructed primarily of webbing and tape, sewed together. Thus no metal is employed in its construction, and it is readily laundered from time to time.

To secure the babys ankles I provide two ankle bands or straps I and 2. These are formed of a length of webbing sufiicient to encircle the ankle at least once and preferably wrapping about the ankle somewhat in excess of once. To secure them about the ankles, tapes 3 and 4 may be secured to the ankle bands at such spacing as to insure that the ankle bands will be fitted snugly though not tightly about the ankles. In Figure 2 the ankle band I has been shown open, and the ankle band 2 as closed. These ankle bands are connected to each other by a cross strap 5, and preferably each end of the cross strap is secured intermediate the ends of the respective ankle straps, as by a line of sewing indicated at 6.

The cross strap 5 should be of such length that the baby may spread its feet to a considerable extent, and may move them up and down as in normal kicking, yet should not be of such length that it will permit the baby to crawl upward along the bed.

To hold the baby down in the bed I provide such means as a securing or anchor strap 7, which is connected to the assembly, consisting of the two ankle bands and the crossstrap,andwhich is of a length to extend to the foot of the bed in which the infant is to be placed, and at this end it is provided with suitable securing means, such as the tapes 8, which are sewed to the securing strap 1. Preferably the securing strap 1 is secured to the cross strap 5 substantially midway between the ends of the latter, as indicated by the line of sewing at 9, and thus each leg is given the same freedom of movement as the other, yet both are held down to the foot of the bed, to which the tapes 8 are secured, and the infant may not crawl upward. He may still roll over, he may kick his feet to a limited or normal extent, and he has adequate freedom of mover ment in all directions to make himself comfortable, yet he is restrained from an excess of kicking and from crawling, and is thereby induced to lie quietly, and a tendency to restfulness is induced.

If it is desired to take up the baby for feeding or to change him it is only necessary to untie the two sets of tapes 3 and 4, and the baby is immediately freed from the harness, and as easily returned to it. The harness is not bulky, and may easily be thrown aside when not in use, or removed entirely. No metal being incorporated in it, it will not stain the bed, and may be laundered without the least disassembling. Its inexpensiveness and simplicity particularly appeal to mothers.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A baby harness for the purpose specified, comprising a cross strap, means to secure the same to the foot of a bed, two ankle straps overlying the respective ends of the cross strap and secured thereto along a line transverse to the cross strap and ankle straps, and between the ends of the latter, and means to secure the ankle straps in 100p form about the babys ankles.

2. A baby harness for the purpose specified, comprising a cross strap, an anchor strap having means to secure one end to the foot of a bed, and stitched at its other end to the cross strap between the ends of the latter, an ankle strap stitched to each end of the cross strap, and along a line lying between the ends of such ankle strap, and tapes stitched to the ankle straps whereby they may be looped about a babys ankles and secured.

HELEN M. DONOGH'UE. 

